Shoe stretcher



A RINNELA SHOE STBETCHER July 29, 1947.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Sept. 18, 1943 zlmgzvrozz Mew Evzrzela :Wmm

July 29, 1947.

A. RINNELA SHOE STRETCHER Original Filed Sept. 18, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet .2

INVENTOR. BY firzalrewkirerze'la 31 1947/ v A. RINNELA I 2,424,669

SHQE STRETCHER Original Filed Sept. 18, 1943 3Sheets-Sheet s I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY I Patented July 29, 1947 UNITED STATES OFFICE Andrew Rinnela, New York, N. Y.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 502,855, September 18, 1943. This application ()ctober 20, 1945. Serial No. 623,514

9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a shoe stretcher.

The present application is a refile of my abandoned application filed September 18, 1943, Serial Number 502,855.

More particularly, the invention relates to a two part last body having body members which may open either vertically or horizontally and are formed with cavities accommodating the usual spreading means, and a novel hinge means being associated with last body members for pivotally connecting them together in a certain way.

The invention proposes to so arrange the hinge means that it is readily possible to operate the shoe stretcher for spreading apart the rear ends of the last body members, or for spreading apart the front ends of the last body members, as desired.

The invention also contemplates a novel construction of spreading means which may be operated in a certain way for gripping and holding the last body members together.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe stretcher constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of.Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inner end of one of the screws used in the device.

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of the wedge used in the device.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the trunnion member, partly in section.

Fig. 9 is a rear perspective of the shoe stretcher.

Fig. 10 is an end elevational view of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but illustrating a difierent position of the parts.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line l2-l2 of Fig, 10.

Fig. 13 is another view similar to Fig. 9, but illustrating another form of the invention.

Fig. 14 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 15 is a plan view of the same, shown partly in section.

The shoe stretcher, according to this invention, includes a two part last body [0 having a right hand last member I l and a left hand last member l2. Preferably, said last body 10 is constructed of wood or metal, and is adapted to fit within the vamp portion of the shoe.

The last body members H and I2 are associated with spreadin means which includes a nut !3 located within a cavity [4, or recesses, formed in the adjacent faces of the last body members H and I2. This nut I3 is provided with a trunnion l5 engaging socket openings [6 formed in the last body members II and I2. A screw [1 threadedly engages through the nut [3. A swiveled wedge I8 is mounted upon the inner end of the screw I! and is cooperative with a front and back wedge shaped cavity or recesses [9 formed in the adjacent faces of the last body members II and i2.

The arms 13* of the trunnion l5 are formed with elongated openings l3 with curved inner faces. Retaining pins I I and l2 are held in the last body members II and I2, respectively and pass through the openings I3 to guide the trunnion member and to permit spreading of body members.

The recesses l4 snugly engage the sides of the nut l3. However, these recesses I l are elongated in.the vertical direction, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The socket openings I'B are similarly elongated in a vertical direction. This permits the nut l3 to be moved vertically upwards and downwards relative to the last body members H and I2. The wedge I8 is formed with a base portion 20 having a curved socket 2i engaged by a rounded section 22 formed upon the inner end of the screw H. The screw I! also has a reduced stem 23 at its inner end passing through a slot 24 in the base portion of the wedge iii. The stem 23 is provided with a bearing head 25 which roughly fits into a recess 26 in the wedge 18. The arrangement is such that the screw I! is free to rotate and swivel slightly in a vertical direction without becoming discon nected from the wedge 18.

The wedge I8 is in the shape of an arrow head. It has a pointed front end 21. At the sides it is provided with a pair of rearwardly projecting pointed portions 28.. These, latter pointed portions are engageable with complementary curved ends of blocks 29 adjustably mounted along the sides of the recesses I9. More particularly, each recess I9 is generally of dove-tailed shape (see particularly Fig The blocks 29 are correspondingly shaped so as to slidably engage the dove-tailed portions of the recesses I9. Set screws 30 threadedly engage through the blocks 29 by which they may be fixedly clamped along the length of the said recesses I9. The wedge I8 is thinner than the heights of the recesses I9, but the recesses I 9 have shallow grooves I9 into which the sides of the wedge I 8 slidably engages.

Hinge means are associated with the last body members II and I2. These hinge means include a stud 3I for each side of one of the last body members. Specifically, there are two studs 3|. Each of these studs 3I is slidably mounted on rail 32 extended along a cavity 33 extended along the inner edge of one of said last body members. A hook 34 is pivotally mounted on each stud 3I. Each hook 34 is cooperative with a stud 35 slidably mounted upon 'a rail 36 mounted within a cavity 31 along an adjacent side of an adjacent one of said last'mentioned one of said body members. The studs 3| and 35 are equipped with set screws 38 by which they may be latched in fixed positions. The dot and dash line position 40 lllustrated in Fig. 2 show another position of one of said studs and hook 34.

A hollow screw 4| is turnably mounted on the screw I1 and abuts against the outer end of the nut I3. The hollow screw4I carries a heel follower 42 which is adapted to engage the heel portion of the upper of a shoe being stretched. A handle 44 is r eleasibly mounted on the outer unthreaded rectangular end of the screw IT. A handie 43 is mounted on the outer end of the screw 4|. The handle 44 is releasably held by a set screw 44 either at the end of the handle 44 or the head of the screw 44 may be located in the hollow portion 44 of the handle. The head of screw 44a is preferably knurled to facilitate its manual gripping.

Mounted upon the rear ends of the last sections 1 I and I2 are concentric semi-circular tracks 50. Each of h tracks 59 s hann ham n Cross section and each is securely held in position by means of screws 5I. Slidably disposed in one of the tracks 50 is a slide 52 having a plurality of outwardly extending handles 53. The, handles 53 may be used for moving the slide 52 into a position in which half engages each of the tracks 50 above or below the screw II.

In Fig. 11 the slide 52 is shown in an operative position in which it connects the back ends of the last sections II and I2, while in Fig. the slide 5 2 is in an inoperative position contained entirely within one of the tracks 50.

The. operation of the shoe stretcher is as follows:

The two part last body I0 is inserted in'the vamp. portion of a shoe. The handle 43 is rotated to engage the heel follower 42 against the heel portion of the upper of the shoe. Then the handle 44 is turned for rotating the screw I I for moving the screw I'I forwards relative to the nut I3 to advance the wedge 18 which then engages the cooperative wedge shaped recesses I9 for spreading the front portions of the last body members II and I2 when said hinge means are rearwards of said wedge. I8. These last body members II and I2 are pivoted about said hinge means (characterized by the pivoted hooks 34 and the studs 35.)

In. the event that the last body members I I and I2 do not spread as desired for properly stretching the shoe, it is merely necessary to remove the shoe stretcher and to readjust said hinge means.

This is done by loosening the set screws 38. Then the studs 3! and the studs 35 may be shifted along the rails 32 and 3G to new positions. These positions may be anywhere along the lengths of the last body members. In their new positions the set screws 38 are tightened and now the shoe stretcher may again he slipped within the shoe and operated as before stated. When the hinge means are located at the front ends of the last body members II and I2 forwards of the wedge IS the screw I! may be turned to move the wedge I8 forwards to cause the wedge I8 to force the rear ends of the last members II and I2 apart.

Furthermore, the blocks 29 may be retracted to the dot and dash line positions 29 and then it is possible to cause the Wedge I8 to move so far rearwards that it engages the contracted rear ends of the recesses I9 and spreads the rear portions of the last body members I I and I2 around the hinge means which, as stated, is now located at the front of the shoe stretcher.

The last body members I I and I 2 may be fixedly latched together by having the hook portions 28 engage the blocks 29, as illustrated in Fig. 4-.

In Figs. 13 to 15 another form of locking arrangement is shown, which consists of an armate member 45, pivotally mounted to the top and bottom portion of the last body member I2, at the rear portion of the last, so that it may be swung into locking position, over the reduced angular portion of the body member II. In this locking position, the rear portion of the last will be held together, while the front portions of the body members II and I2 are permitted to spread. When it is desired to stretch the back of the shoe, the arcuate member 45 is swungto open position by forcing a tool or ones finger in the recessed portion 41, against the arcuate member 45.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and c0- operative with wedge shaped recesses between said members, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members for hingedly connecting said members.

2. A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members. spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedge shaped recesses between said members, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said membersfor hingedly connecting said members, comprising hooks mounted on one of the last body sections and engageable with studs mounted on the other of the last body sections.

3. A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedge shaped recesses between said members, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members for hingedly connecting said members, comprising hooks pivotally mounted on studs adjustably mounted along one of the last body members and engageable with studs adjustably mounted along the other of said last body members.

4. A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedge shaped recesses between said mem bers, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members for hingedly connecting said members, comprising hooks pivotally mounted on studs adjustably mounted along one of the last body members and engageable with studs adjustably mounted along the other of said last body members, and means for fixing said studs in various positions.

5. A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled Wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedge shaped recesses between said members, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members for hingedly connecting said members, comprising hooks pivotally mounted on studs adjustably mounted along one of the last body members and engageable with studs adjustably mounted along the other of said last body mem bers, and means for fixing said studs in various positions, comprising set screws engaging through the studs and adapted to abut the material of the said last body members.

6. A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedge shaped recesses between said members, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members for hingedly connecting said members, said wedge being of arrow shape and havin hook portions at the sides, and blocks adjustably mounted within said cavity and having portions complementary to said side hooks for latching said last body members together.

7. A shoe stretcher, comprising a, two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said. members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedge shaped recesses between said members, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members for hingedly connecting said members, said blocks being slidably mounted within said recesses, and set screws for locking said blocks in adjusted positions.

8. A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and including a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and a swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedged shaped recesses between said members and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members for hingedly connecting said members, and means connecting together the back ends of the last body members.

9, A shoe stretcher, comprising a two-part last body having right and left last body members, spreading means for said members and includin a nut located within a cavity between said members and having a trunnion engaging socket openings in said members, a screw threadedly engaged through said nut, and swiveled wedge mounted on the inner end of said screw and cooperative with wedged shaped recesses between said members, and hinge means adjustably mounted along said members of hingedly connecting said members, and means connecting together the back ends of the last body members,

said latter means, comprising concentric semicircular tracks mounted on the back ends of said last body members, and a slide slidably engaging said tracks,

ANDREW RINNELA. 

